Posts
"No courtesy workouts today."
"No pain, no gain."
"Welcome to the workout from hell."
"If you're not burning at least 300 calories, you're wasting your time."
Wow! Those statements don't motivate me at all. How about you? While I love a challenge (especially when I am successful), I fear failure, negative judgments, and public ridicule. I'll admit that there are more than a few classes that I've avoided because I feared failing, the instructor's scorn, or being the "klutz."
Don't get me wrong. You'll find me sweating it out doing cardio several days a week. But I am not inspired to work harder to gain an instructor's approval or to avoid a scolding. Yoga changed the way that I view my workout, whether it be cardio, strength, or stretching.
From one of yoga's guiding principles, let me suggest this "mindset" for your workout: santosha, or nonjudgment and contentment within oneself. Santosha is essential to yoga.
Your practice is just that: your practice. It's yours and it's an evolving process of discovery. If your fingers graze your shins while you're in forward fold--great! If your nose touches your knees in forward fold--great! Yoga's not about the pose. Yoga's not about the calories burned. Yoga's not about suffering, or pain. Yoga's not about competition. And yoga's certainly not about pleasing the instructor.
Everyone who walks into the practice room comes with a unique anatomy, diverse experiences, and varied expectations. Acknowledge what is true for you at that moment. Let go of how you think things should be, of how you want things to be, of what you are "supposed" to look like in a pose. Yoga is as much about self-acceptance as it is about the poses that we do together. Some days you can balance well; others, not so well. Some days you might feel energetic; others, you take a break (or two) in child's pose and catch up with the class later. No judgment from others, especially the teacher. No pressure to conform to another's expectations.
Yoga is fueled by positive motivation and acceptance. You don't have to prove anything or pass any test to practice yoga. It's not about contortions; it's not about discomfort. It's about linking the body and the mind with breath, noticing the sensations, and staying focused. Truth be told, everyone else in the room is so busy working on his or her own practice, you are virtually invisible to others. The mind/body connection in yoga is this: by acknowledging our human nature with all of our flaws and imperfections, we develop self-acceptance and a sense of humor. By extension, we open ourselves to witnessing the same qualities in others, without judgment. We learn to appreciate what we have and where we are today, in that very moment. Non-judgment brings inner harmony, contentment, joy, and curiosity about the world around us. As we change the way we think, so do we change the way we act. Santosha, the state of contentment and non-judgment, begins to penetrate into our lives outside our practice room. Santosha can even move into our other workout routines. You just might discover that you don't need to have "your butt kicked" to try your best; you become your own best coach who uses encouragement and acceptance to challenge your performance. You may think that you come to yoga to get into shape, lose weight, reduce stress, feel better--and you will. You do all of that with patience and self-acceptance, without competition or fear of embarrassment. You may get even more benefits: yoga can change your attitude, even your life. I'm in those cardio and strength classes now, but I'm listening to my self and setting my own goals. Hope to see you there!
